So what about the black republicans? Are they refuting your bigoted, racist nonsense? Or are they traitors to their race?

"His primary rules were: never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong; people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it." —From the OSS’s psychological profile of Adolf Hitler

The weaponization of one's past wouldn't bother me as much as it does if it weren't for two things.

First, the rampaging hypocrisy about who one does and does not believe, which by and large is based more on the party and politics of the individual at the center of the controversy than the actual facts and severity of the matter. I would be more inclined to accept Republican hand-wringing and pearl-clutching over the Northam affair (et al.) if they'd pitch as big of a fit when it's a Republican that's accused. And I would be more inclined to accept Democratic weeping and wailing if they'd at least wait until all the facts are out before screaming for someone's head — I suppose their position is more consistent, but that doesn't make it fair or reasonable: this isn't France, it's not 'guilty until proven innocent'.

And second, the circus atmosphere that inevitably arises around these cases, that makes an actual analysis of the facts virtually impossible.
Me, I don't know what I think about the Northam case. I'd be more interested in knowing if there was a pattern of behavior that indicated racist beliefs that followed, or if it was, to use Henry Hyde's words to dismiss his own marital infidelity while spearheading the impeachment drive against President Clinton for his, a "youthful indiscretion". I find it worth notice that the accusation and photos cropped up not on an actual news source -- not even Fox -- but on a right-wing conspiracy theory site run by a former Breitbarter who calls Alex Jones "my Walter Cronkite" and the leftovers of Roy Moore's Senate campaign management.

That doesn't automatically make it false, but it does make it worth looking at more closely before accepting the claims at face value.

I also find Northam's turnaround, first apologizing and then saying it's not him in the photos, curious. I mean, there's stuff I did in college that I remember only fuzzily at best (coincidentally at about the same time as Northam's college years), but I would immediatley know if confronted with a photo alleging to be of me in blackface that I had nothing to apologize for because I have never worn blackface.

So Northam's initial apology sounds to me like appearing in a racist photograph was something he had to admit he could have plausibly done, which is in and of itself disturbing, and tilts me slightly in the direction of 'resign'.

I don't know if he actually was a racist when he was younger, or was just racially insensitive, or just did the dumb shit college kids sometimes do without thinking.

I do know that with the storm and fury going on right now, it will be virtually impossible to sift out the signal from all the noise.

"The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't." -- Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

I would immediatley know if confronted with a photo alleging to be of me in blackface that I had nothing to apologize for because I have never worn blackface.

So Northam's initial apology sounds to me like appearing in a racist photograph was something he had to admit he could have plausibly done, which is in and of itself disturbing, and tilts me slightly in the direction of 'resign'.

Tell me, is everyone who ever wore 'blackface' an official racist?

Is that 'racist' deserving of anything? Political office? Government employee benefits? Water? Electricity?

'Racist' usually doesn't seem to mean 'carries out current racist acts' anymore, it now seems to be anyone who can be accused by wearing the wrong costume, or saying the wrong word.

Where did trdsf's post imply that "veryone who ever wore 'blackface' an official racist"?

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"It isn't necessary to imagine the world ending in fire or ice.
There are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia."
Frank Zappa

Where did trdsf's post imply that "veryone who ever wore 'blackface' an official racist"?

Where did my post imply that? I was just asking because it seems that this politician is being branded racist (or not branded such) based on whether he did, or would have dressed in black face decades ago.

Where did trdsf's post imply that "everyone who ever wore 'blackface' an official racist"?

Where did my post imply that?

Only in the part where you quoted a portion of trdsf's post and immediately responded with: "Tell me, is everyone who ever wore 'blackface' an official racist?"

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"It isn't necessary to imagine the world ending in fire or ice.
There are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia."
Frank Zappa

No, but I did attend a "vicars and tarts" party in my early 20s. I'll leave you to imagine which group I identified with at the time.

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"It isn't necessary to imagine the world ending in fire or ice.
There are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia."
Frank Zappa

Indeed. But I'll tell you something about the 'vicars and tarts' party I attended. My Bishop didn't take warmly to it, not one jot.

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"It isn't necessary to imagine the world ending in fire or ice.
There are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia."
Frank Zappa

I would immediatley know if confronted with a photo alleging to be of me in blackface that I had nothing to apologize for because I have never worn blackface.

So Northam's initial apology sounds to me like appearing in a racist photograph was something he had to admit he could have plausibly done, which is in and of itself disturbing, and tilts me slightly in the direction of 'resign'.

Tell me, is everyone who ever wore 'blackface' an official racist?

Is that 'racist' deserving of anything? Political office? Government employee benefits? Water? Electricity?

'Racist' usually doesn't seem to mean 'carries out current racist acts' anymore, it now seems to be anyone who can be accused by wearing the wrong costume, or saying the wrong word.

I can but point you to Brian's query, your inadequate reply to him, and his follow-up pointing out where exactly you went wrong. Do me the favor in future of addressing the points I have made (or attempted to make), not imputing to me things I did not say.

In fact, allow me to quote myself again, and allow me to highlight it a little since reading for comprehension clearly eluded you:

I don't know if he actually was a racist when he was younger, or was just racially insensitive, or just did the dumb shit college kids sometimes do without thinking.

That seems pretty clear to me exactly what I was saying.

What you did was deliberately miscast my post.

"The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't." -- Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

I would immediatley know if confronted with a photo alleging to be of me in blackface that I had nothing to apologize for because I have never worn blackface.

So Northam's initial apology sounds to me like appearing in a racist photograph was something he had to admit he could have plausibly done, which is in and of itself disturbing, and tilts me slightly in the direction of 'resign'.

Tell me, is everyone who ever wore 'blackface' an official racist?

Is that 'racist' deserving of anything? Political office? Government employee benefits? Water? Electricity?

'Racist' usually doesn't seem to mean 'carries out current racist acts' anymore, it now seems to be anyone who can be accused by wearing the wrong costume, or saying the wrong word.

I can but point you to Brian's query, your inadequate reply to him, and his follow-up pointing out where exactly you went wrong. Do me the favor in future of addressing the points I have made (or attempted to make), not imputing to me things I did not say.

In fact, allow me to quote myself again, and allow me to highlight it a little since reading for comprehension clearly eluded you:

I don't know if he actually was a racist when he was younger, or was just racially insensitive, or just did the dumb shit college kids sometimes do without thinking.

That seems pretty clear to me exactly what I was saying.

What you did was deliberately miscast my post.

I didn't mean to miscast you. I agree, overall. I was just asking some of the questions I think are uncomfortable.

Does it need to be said, that I don't think you speculating on these questions makes you 'racist'?

It's fuckin' hilarious. We got Coonman, the Lt. Gov is apparently a pervert, third guy in line is also a racist, and the 4th in line for the Govship is a Republican. The GOP could pick up another governorship without doing anything at all.